Needle threader



April 29, 1947. F. VOGEL NEEDLE THREADEE Filed May 4, 1945 Innen (or Patented pr. 29, 1947 lJNlTED STATES PATENT CFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to needle threading devices, the threading of needles used in hand sewing, and the object of the invention is to devise simple means for quickly and easily passing a thread through the eye of a needle, without hesitation on the part of the operator thereby eliminating waste of time.

Another object is to provide means to attach the device to the spool upon which the thread is wound, providing a handle and also a stand. Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is understood.

The invention is characterized by simplicity of construction, ineXpensiveness of manufacture and practicability in use.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the needle threading device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the needle threading device.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the-same device.

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing a modified form of the needle threading device.

Referring to the illustrations, I indicates the body, `which is preferably made from a blank, bent double in U-shape forming a double spaced body, the front elevation resembling a letter Y.

A narrow arm 2 and wide arms 3 and t are extending upwardly and angularly from body I, narrow arm 2 being bent in U-shape forming a needle Duiding channel and wide arms 3 and 4 comprising a double spaced arm having a sp-ringy tension against each other, facilitating the guiding and aligning the needle in center of the body.

As shown in the illustra-tions, the narrow arm 2 and wide arm 3 are hanged and bent outwardly at the top ends to accommodate the needle more conveniently, at the start of the needle threading operation. Between the narrow arm 2 and wide arms 3 and il a V-shaped recess 5 is .cut away, terminating in narrow slots E and these said slots are cut in both sides of the body to a fair depth ending at l, to provide additional flexibility to wide arms 3 and l.

At the root of the recess 5 and at the beginning of slots 5 and in between. body I is located the thread engaging hook 8. This said hook is preferably made ci a thin and tough material and is composed of the hook 8 itself. and its depending body 9. A short distance below the hook E a wider shoulder IIB is formed to stop the needle at the required depth. The rivet II holds the 2 hook and body 9 in between body I securely in place.

At one side of body I and approximately level with the shoulder l a depending strip of material is being bent at vright angles and transversely, forming a heel l2 to provide another stop to keep the needle at the proper level at the bottom stroke. Wide arm Il is bent to right angles at I3 and a short distance away bent upwardly and over upon itself forming a U-shaped spring clip Iii. At the outer edges of this spring clip I4 an inwardly tapered needle receiving mouth I5 is formulated and a pair of parallel running ribs IE and I7 are formed across the hat of the material and angularly as shown at I8 to guide the needle in the center of the device.

The lower portion of body I is cut to a taper as shown in Fig. l to enable a person to force the needle threading device into the bore of the thread spool to have a vconvenient stand for the device.

Furthermore, the hole i9 at the lower end is also accommodating the user to either attach it to a string or place it on a nail.

In Fig. l, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 the threading device is shown with the thread 2G and needle 2| in position before retracting the needle upwardly. As is shown in Fig. 2 the arms 3 and 4 are spread out when the needle is placed between them, due to the flexibility the said arms possess, which is necessary to accommodate various needle sizes.

To explain the use of the threading device, the operator places the eye end of the needle into mouth I5 and forces it toward narrow arm 2 and as the needle proceeds deeper due to the springy tension of the spring clip l, the eye of the needle is forced to turn flatwise, aligning the needle correctly. As the needle proceeds further it is forced against the side of angularly running rib I'I which will guide the needle in the center of the device and into the channel portion of the narrow arm 2. When this stage is reached the needle is pressed downward guided by the channel of the narrow arm 2 and the wide arms 3 and 4 the hook 8 will pass through the eye of the needle and the needle will come to a stop account of shoulder I@ and heel I2 and held there by the tension of wide arms 3 and l5. When in this position a thread 2l is placed by the operator transversely in the V-shaped recess E, pressing it downwardly, the thread will reach the hook 8 and since the said hook is aligned between narrow slots 6 in such a way that a downward angle is formed by hook 8 and the extreme point at 22 on hook 8 projects beyond the edges of narrow slots E thereby the thread 2l will snap in and under hook 8, holding it there indefinitely. After having the needle and the thread in this position the operator retracts the needle upwardly, the thread engaged by the hook member is drawn through the eye of the needle, thereby completing the threading operation.

It should be understood that it is not necessary to use the needle registering spring clip l 4 to align the eye of the needle, if the operator is willing and able to position the eye correctly, then the needle can be placed directly in the channel 2 and between arms 3 and 4 and carry through the operation as described.

For this purpose a slightly modified device is shown in Fig. 4. This threading device is substantially the same as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, only the needle registering spring clip I4 is eliminated and both the top ends of wide arms 3 and 4 are bent outwardly to accommodate the needle. In Fig. 4 the needle 2U and thread 2l are not shown.

It is understood, that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a needle threader of the class described, a spaced double body, narrow and wide arms extending upwardly and angularly from said body, said arms constituting a needle guiding channel and clip respectively, a thread receiving and guiding recess terminating in narrow slots, a thread and needle engaging hook in between said body, said hook aligned in between said narrow slots, and functioning to releasably hold the thread between edges of said narrow slots, needle depth stops on said hook member and said body, one end of said wide arms being bent at right angles thereto. and then upwardly and over upon itself forming a spring clip, the outer edges o! said spring clip being formulated into an in- Wardly tapered needle receiving mouth, said mouth terminating into a needle guiding rib angularly disposed across the flat of said spring clip, and the lower stem of said body being tapered to t the bore of a spool.

2. A needle threader comprising a spaced double walled relatively flat body forming a needle receiving channel between said walls, narrow and wide arms extending upwardly and angularly from said body, the space between the sets of arms forming a thread receiving and guiding recess'terminating in narrow slots, a thread and needle engaging hook fixed between the walls of the body and aligned between said narrow slots whereby edges of the latter guide thread into engagement with the beak of said hook, and a spring clip formed as an integral part of the upper end of one of said wide arms and projecting outwardly laterally relative thereto, said spring clip comprising substantially parallel spaced walls with oppositely curved tapered portions cooperating to produce a needle receiving mouth terminating in a needle guiding rib leading to lthe needle receiving channel.

FRANK VOGEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 875,725r Murphy Jan. 7, 1908 694,984 Olson Mar. 11, 1902 2,185,722 Brown Jan. 2, 1940 1,217,061 Powell Feb. 20, 1917 1,087,691 Sheehy Feb. 17, 1914 985,624 Oakleaf Feb. 28, 1911 

